Katara & the Avatar
by The Melon Lord Approves
Summary: Set in the time gap between Zuko's coronation and Ba Sing Se. Aang & Co. set out to find the missing King Kuei and inform him of the war's end. For her part, Katara has something very important to tell the Avatar... but she's not having a whole lot of luck with that! It would be really nice if, just this once, the road to true love ran smoothly... Kataang, of course.
1. Prologue

**Title-** Katara & the Avatar  
**Rating-** K+, but labeling it T for security  
**Characters/Pairings-** Kataang, the Gaang, and erstwhile Earth King Kuei  
**Genre(s)-** Romance/humor/adventure  
**Summary-** Aang & Co. set out to find the missing King Kuei and inform him of the war's end. For her part, Katara has something very important to tell the Avatar... but she's not having a whole lot of luck with that! Set in the time gap between Zuko's coronation and Ba Sing Se.

**A/N-** I've wanted to write this fic for awhile, because I like ~romantic tension~ fics, but I don't want to write a "Kataang takes eighty bajillion years to get together after the war" fic... I wanted to find a way to preserve that perfect happy Kataang ending the series got, but also have that lighthearted feeling of having the war be over but the two of them still dancing around each other. The solution? Fill in that big ol' gap between Zuko's coronation and their trip to Ba Sing Se, of course!

I wasn't planning on posting this until Almost Airbenders was finished, but I've hit a bit of a block there, and this fic is completely mapped out (although it is not yet fully written). It will have 13 chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue. So it's just a bit of lighthearted fun on the side while I plug away at Fireflight and try to actually make the words come out for AA.

* * *

**Prologue**

The coronation took place three days after the passing of the Comet.

The Fire Nation, and Katara and Zuko in particular, had passed the first day in tense anticipation of news from the battlefield. The answer they had been waiting for arrived just before sunset, when Aang, Sokka, Toph, and Suki brought the last functional airship of the Phoenix King's formerly mighty armada limping down to earth in the capitol, with a weak and furious Ozai in tow.

The second day had been a blur of preparation. All through the night the palace staff had been sending out word across the world as fast as it could be delivered, that the new Firelord would be crowned the following day. Fire Nation nobility and citizens of other nations who were within traveling distance began streaming in over the course of the day. The coronation would be a rush job, but it was important for Zuko to take the throne as quickly as possible in order to cement his rule as Ozai's firstborn and the rightful heir.

And on the third day, at high noon, Zuko was crowned.

For Katara it was almost a surreal experience to stand in the crowd and watch her former enemy, now a good friend, kneel and receive the crown of the Fire Nation. For generations a symbol of hatred and ruthlessness, it was now worn on the head of a just man seeking peace. And she had helped make it happen. She had fought beside him- beside all her friends- for a brighter world. She had put almost-Firelord Azula in chains. She had helped end a war that had shadowed her childhood, her parents' childhood, her grandparents' childhood. Her role hadn't been the largest, not by far, but she had helped to do this. The thought was staggering.

Things would be different now.

There was still work to be done, certainly. There was a whole world to rebuild and a century's worth of suffering to assuage, but the world itself had changed. People were weary of fighting and ready to begin anew, even the citizens of the Fire Nation, who had suffered as much as anyone. Zuko, who was a far better man than she had given him credit for until recently, could be trusted to shepherd his people in a way his ancestors had not.

The young man himself stood at the head of the stairs before the swelling crowd, and Katara was close enough to see the tiny smile that played around his mouth as he rose to his feet, accompanied by wild enthusiastic cheers from members of all three nations. But whatever pride Zuko felt in that moment, he concealed it well as he stepped forward to acknowledge the crowd.

A smile twitched at her lips as he glanced over his shoulder and, with a small wave and a jerk of his head, encouraged Aang (who up until that moment had lingered respectfully out of the way) to join him. There was something so endearing about seeing these two larger-than-life figures, who were also two of her dearest friends, being so unabashedly human.

But as Aang stepped forward into the brilliant late summer sunlight, whatever musings she'd had on Zuko fled abruptly as all of her attention focused immediately on the little airbender. Well, maybe not quite so little anymore...

He's so tall now, she thought dizzily. When did he get so tall?

As Katara gazed up at him, standing there so different from the silly boy he had been not even a year ago and yet still so much the same, something changed. For the life of her she couldn't have explained it, but it felt to her as though something clicked into place. The weight of confusion and fear she had been mired under for so long rolled back and a profound shift occurred within her.

It had occurred to her sometimes (too many times) over the course of their adventures that she was falling for him. How could she not suspect it, when he could make even dark and frightening times seem bright, and turn her stomach to doing backflips with a smile? She had been so afraid of it. The idea of leaving herself so vulnerable (hadn't she learned her lesson from Jet?) was petrifying. They were so young, and their mission was so dangerous, and sometimes he looked at her in a way that made her sure he must care for her, too but she didn't know... She didn't want to have her heart broken. She didn't want to fall for fear that no one would be there to catch her. But it had seemed that she didn't have much choice, so all she could do was repress it as best she could, and hope that maybe eventually this huge, ridiculous, oversized crush would go away.

Yes, the thought had occurred to her often.

But as she watched Aang as he stood beside the new Fire Lord, so collected and sure of himself, she had a new thought.

I love him, she decided, quite suddenly. And it seemed right. She was still terrified and they were still young she still had no idea where to go from here, but something had changed. She wasn't sure what it was, but it had happened and she couldn't find a single reason to regret it. She loved him. She, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, was in love with the Avatar. With Aang. With her best friend.

Katara knew she should be paying attention to the ceremony, to the traditions that were being carried out on the dais, but she was too preoccupied with this new and delightful realization that she had gone right ahead and fallen in love despite herself to care. She was a hero, but she was also a young girl, and thoughts of romance were much more interesting to her in that moment than the droned out speeches being made by the Fire Sages.

As Aang looked out across the crowd, he spotted her and they locked eyes. Her heartbeat doubled and she hoped he couldn't see that he was blushing, but she couldn't have looked away from him if she'd tried. She wondered if he was as transfixed as she was. She couldn't imagine that was possible, but he held her gaze so steadily that she had to consider the possibility.

He cared for her. She knew that much, now, and it was reassuring. As uncomfortable and messy as their confrontation the night of that atrocious play on Ember Island had been, she had at last gotten the confirmation she'd been unconsciously seeking, that she wasn't imagining the feelings she suspected he harbored for her. How deep those feelings ran, she couldn't be sure. She couldn't imagine herself inspiring in him the same depth of love she found herself feeling in that moment, but he did care. He cared enough that the thought of her being with Zuko, of all people visibly upset him (she cast a quick glance at the young Fire Lord and couldn't repress a snort of amusement at the very idea).

She had hurt him that night, and she knew it. Although they'd made a very excellent show of continuing the routine of their friendship as though nothing had happened, they both knew something was different after that night. There had been a slight cordiality in the way they talked to each other that had never been there even when they were strangers. They had avoided being alone together for fear of awkwardness, and the way he had sometimes avoided her eyes told Katara that her reaction to his ill-timed kiss was often on his mind.

With the benefit of hindsight, it seemed ridiculous. With the fresh realization that she'd been falling for him all along resonating through her, she couldn't seem to remember what it was that had made her so startled and panicky that night and sent her flying away from him.

And then a second realization struck her: she wanted to be with him. It should have been obvious, maybe, that having realized she was in love with Aang she would no longer be content to be only his friend. Somehow, though, it just hadn't occurred to her until that very second.

She valued their friendship enormously. She had never in her whole life been as close to anyone outside her immediate family- perhaps not even them- as she was with Aang. She had confided things to him, and he to her, that neither of them had ever told anyone else. They were best friends and she treasured the closeness between them. It was one of the most important relationships she had ever formed... but she wanted more. She wanted them to be together.

Katara resolved right then and there that as soon as a good opportunity presented itself, she would tell Aang everything.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N-** Ooh, look! An update! To all my anonymous reviewers... y'all are awesome, and I'm sorry I can't thank you individually!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

The coronation had not been anywhere near as lavish as those of Fire Lords past, and it had not been nearly as well-attended, either. Had circumstances been different, Zuko might have chosen to take a few days to allow for more preparation, or at the very least, to repair the damage done to the palace during his agni kai with Azula. As it was, had you asked the young Fire Lord that evening, he most likely would have said he wouldn't have chosen his coronation to be any other way. The Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe captives recently released from prison were guests of honor, and most of the key members of the Fire Nation bureaucracy were not only in attendance, but had sworn their allegiance to their new ruler. It was inelegant and as unceremonious as anything in the Fire Nation had any chance of being, but it was the start of something new and somehow that felt appropriate.

The celebrations, held in the palace's extensive gardens, continued late into the night. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the relative cool of the balmy Fire Nation evening settled over the capitol, lanterns were lit all around the palace grounds. Katara, seated with Toph and her brother at a table off to the side of the crowd, noticed that many of the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe people in the crowd winced visibly as the firebenders among the palace servants went about setting the lights. Not so terribly long ago, she would have been one of those shying away from the sight of even this most innocent firebending.

With a smile, though, she noted that her own peace of mind was not the only change. Fire Nation citizens and Earth Kingdom nationals mingled freely, and she even spotted her own father engaged in a spirited dance with a golden-eyed woman.

"Things really are going to change now, aren't they?" she remarked to anyone who happened to be listening.

"You said it, Sweetness."

"Well, I certainly hope so," a voice Katara hadn't heard in some time chimed in. She looked up in delight at the sight of Aang approaching. He was still dressed in his elaborate new robes, and she couldn't quite keep herself from staring. The formal attire made him look so noble and handsome that taking her eyes off him seemed nearly impossible.

To her great delight, he took the empty seat between herself and Toph. If she were to move her chair just a few inches, their arms would be touching. Katara pondered what would be the easiest way to slide over in her chair, and whether she could pull it off without making it completely obvious what she was doing.

"I was wondering when you were gonna turn up," Toph remarked, interrupting Katara's musings. "We haven't seen you in hours."

Aang pulled a face. "Yeah, I know. I've been doing the Avatar thing."

"Get used to it, buddy," Sokka remarked. "I'm pretty sure you're not gonna be able to get out of that gig."

The young airbender laughed. "It's okay, actually. Zuko's just been making sure I know all the important people in the Fire Nation ruling class."

"Speaking of Zuko," Suki chimed in as she returned to the table, bearing two cups of rice wine, one of which she handed to Sokka with the other reserved for herself, "where is he, anyway? I don't think I've seen him since right after the coronation."

"I just saw him," Aang said. "He's gonna swing by in a few minutes. He said he wanted us to meet somebody."

Sokka snorted. "Probably some stuffy, puffed up Fire Nation noble who wants to get it in good with the Avatar so you won't take away his bending, too."

"Only one in four," Zuko called at that very moment. "Fire Nation nobility- yes. Stuffy and puffed up- no."

"And frankly," a female voice with a silky-sharp edge added, "I wouldn't have much use for firebending even if I were one."

All five of the young heroes seated around the table whipped around to gape at the approaching Fire Lord and his companion. Four of the five jaws dropped. Katara found herself unconsciously reaching for the water skin she'd neglected to bring with her to the celebration, and she saw both Suki and Aang tensing up reflexively. Toph's expression remained stoic but she too shifted ever so slightly in her seat, planting her feet a little more firmly on the ground. Only Sokka, with his broken leg propped up on an empty chair, seemed relatively unaffected by the appearance of the raven-haired beauty at Zuko's side once he had recovered from the initial surprise of her presence.

"Guys, relax," the warrior said nonchalantly. "It's just Mai."

They had all heard the story of how Mai had dramatically rescued the entire party escaping from the Boiling Rock at great cost to herself (and, more memorably, they had all dealt with Zuko's especially violent flares of temper in the ensuing days while he worried himself raw over what price Azula might have extracted from her). But it was one thing for them to objectively know that Mai had turned traitor against the Fire Nation and saved four of their number, and quite another to suddenly be confronted with the woman herself.

Katara actively forced herself to relax her tense posture, reminding herself that Mai was not a threat and there were no knives in sight._ She saved Dad and Sokka_, she told herself sternly.

Aang, for his part, got to his feet and bowed respectfully to the older girl. "Thank you for helping our friends before," he said. "We owe you a lot."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever," she said dismissively, but Katara caught the tiniest twitch about her mouth that seemed to be the beginnings of a well-suppressed smile.

Katara quickly discovered that Mai was not at all what she had expected. Well, she wasn't entirely sure what she'd been expecting, exactly. Whatever it was, though, Mai definitely wasn't it. Given the fact that she was dating Zuko, Katara supposed she had expected the older girl to be as taciturn and reserved as the firebender tended to be. On the contrary, while it was plain that she was not a woman who revealed herself easily, she actually possessed a great deal more social grace than her boyfriend.

The conversation was a bit awkward once she joined them at the table- none of them quite knew what to make of her, and she threw off the effortless group dynamic they had created between them- but as the evening wore on and they got used to her presence, it got easier. The noblewoman was not overly talkative, but she was well-spoken and she had a dry, biting sense of humor that both Toph and Sokka immediately took to. It was very clear that if she spent much more time with them, she would be an accepted member of the group in no time.

Katara found the whole thing to be rather surreal. Only a month ago, she would have considered this girl an enemy to be attacked on sight. Now here she was, sitting among them making sarcastic comments about swamp bender hygiene and none-too-subtly sliding her foot up Zuko's calf under the table. Somehow, Ty Lee's decision to switch sides had been easier to comprehend- perhaps because the chi blocker was a great deal easier to read than this clever woman with the face of a card cheat.

The waterbender simply came to the conclusion that it was going to take awhile to adjust to her presence, and her highly unconventional demeanor.

Eventually, the conversation turned (as it inevitably must) to the subject of the recently-ended war. Katara hadn't really given it much thought, considering her whole focus had been on making sure that everyone she loved survived the war, but as the discussion went on, it dawned on her just how much there really was left to do.

As Aang rightly said, the battle was only half the victory.

"It seems to me like it's not really over until you actually sign a peace treaty," Mai remarked.

As much as Katara hated to concede the point, as much as she wanted to revel in the exhilaration of the coronation and Aang's irrefutable triumph, the older girl unfortunately had a point. Ozai had been stripped of power in every sense, Azula was on her way to an asylum where she belonged, and the Phoenix King's fleet had been destroyed. It was a huge step on the road to peace, but it wasn't official yet.

"I know," Zuko sighed, rubbing his temples tiredly. "I'm meeting with Chief Hakoda tomorrow to begin negotiating peace with the Southern Water Tribe, and this morning I sent an emissary to Chief Arnook at the North Pole. But that's just a start. I still need to-"

"Meet with the Earth King," Aang finished for him. "Yeah, I've been thinking about that. What ever happened to him?"

"He and Bosco went off to live a nomadic experience and travel the Earth Kingdom in disguise, remember? I told you that," Sokka reminded him.

"You did?"

"You probably wouldn't remember," Katara reassured the surprised airbender. "He mentioned it right after you first woke up after Ba Sing Se. You were still pretty out of it."

Aang frowned. "Those first few hours _are_ kind of a blur," he conceded.

"I'm not surprised," Toph remarked. "You were real messed up for awhile there, Twinkle Toes."

Mai snorted at the nickname, but Katara wasn't so amused. "Can we not talk about that?" she suggested tersely. "It's not the point, anyway. The point is, we don't actually know where the Earth King is."

"That could be a problem," Aang said thoughtfully.

"You're not kidding," Zuko agreed. "Uncle sent word that somebody called Bumi is acting as interim ruler in Ba Sing Se, but a short-term ceasefire isn't good enough. Negotiating peace is going to be difficult as it is. Without the cooperation of the true Earth King, it will be a thousand times harder, and we can't afford that. The Earth Kingdom endured the war the best, and as a result, most of the fighting occurred on Earth Kingdom soil. If this peace is going to be lasting, it's absolutely essential that a real agreement be reached with the Earth King and his government."

"But you can't do that without the Earth King," Mai concluded.

Sokka shrugged. "So we go find him, then."

"What, just like that?" Zuko asked skeptically.

"Sure, why not?" Suki asked. "The Earth King is many great and wonderful things-" At this Sokka and Katara both made audible attempts to stifle laughter. Suki determinedly ignored them and soldiered on: "-but a master of stealth is not one of them. It shouldn't be too hard to find him."

"No kidding," Mai added dryly. "Even Ty Lee could probably track him."

A round of giggles followed this comment as the mental image of the bumbling monarch being chased by a pink-clad detective popped simultaneously into everyone's head.

"So is that it, then?" Sokka asked. "Are we gonna go find Kuei?"

Katara nodded. "I think we have to."

"Definitely," Suki agreed.

The group cast a collective look at Aang, who had thus far been silent on the matter. "It seems like a good idea to me," he said thoughtfully. "We could leave in a couple days to start searching for him. Once we've got him pinned down we can send a message to you, and we'll all meet in Ba Sing Se."

Zuko nodded in agreement. "That seems reasonable. I just hope you can find him quickly, because the situation between our nations could become unstable fast if we don't begin peace talks as soon as possible."

Aang groaned. "I thought I was done with deadlines!"

The older boy mirrored his expression. "I think both of us are probably going to be working under deadlines for a long time to come."

Despite herself, Katara snickered at the look of utter dismay on the Avatar's face.

* * *

Katara and Aang walked side by side down the corridor in what seemed like companionable silence. Internally, however, the waterbender was a froth of excitement and nerves.

Dawn was only a scant few hours away when the celebrations had finally wound down enough to allow the Avatar and the Firelord to bow out without committing political suicide. Aang and Zuko had both been obligated to remain, but no such compulsions had held the rest of the group at the party. Toph had vanished relatively soon after the decision to search for Kuei was reached, complaining that the fireworks that were being launched from the roof of the palace were giving her a headache. Sokka and Suki had bowed out not long afterwards, both of them red-faced and giggling from too much wine, completely failing at their attempts at a discreet exit. No one could remember quite when Mai had left.

Only Katara had elected to remain behind until the wee hours with the two put-upon young statesmen. Once or twice, she was engaged in conversation by some Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom citizen curious for details of the final agni kai between the royal siblings, but for the most part, she had been content to remain out of the way at her table, simply watching Aang circulate through the crowd.

It was fascinating to watch him, the way he moved and gestured as he talked, and the ease with which he won over everyone with whom he spoke. Aang had always been far more charming than he himself had any idea of, but that innate social grace he'd possessed as long as she'd known him had been tempered and perfected these past months. And even more... something had changed in him, just in these last few days. She couldn't put her finger on quite what it was, but there was something in his eyes that seemed different. It was as though his natural gentleness and wisdom had been refined and purified.

Katara couldn't understand it, but she wanted to. And that was why she was currently buzzing with excitement as they walked down the hallway of the Fire Palace. She was keenly aware that this was the first time they'd been completely alone together since that horrible conversation on the balcony of the Ember Island theatre almost two weeks earlier. The knowledge made the silence awkward, but more anticipatory than anything else. She was more than ready to repair the rift that had formed in their friendship and become reacquainted with him after everything that had happened. The chance to spend even a little time with him was exhilarating.

His hand, swinging at his side, brushed hers (or maybe it was the other way around). They shared a brief startled glance before they both looked away. Katara's fingers tingled.

A part of her felt a little bit foolish. _Pull yourself together_, she chided herself._ It's only Aang, after all._ But there was nothing "only" about Aang- there never had been. Being around him, even in times like this during a quiet walk back to their respective rooms, had always been a happy prospect. That she was now fully aware that she was completely crazy about him only served to underline that fact.

That was why, when they reached the door of the bedchamber Zuko had set aside for her, Katara found herself wildly disappointed. As exhausted as she was, she was reluctant to part ways with Aang.

"Well. I guess this is your room."

"Yeah. It is."

She hesitated, with her hand on the door knob. Their eyes met again, and again he looked away bashfully. "Goodnight," he blurted out, at the exact moment that she said his name.

"What is it?" he asked, turning a little pink at the awkward moment.

"Did... I mean, do you want to come in for a little while?" she suggested. Somehow, the fact that Aang was tense and shy as well made the words come easier. It was a welcome reminder that no matter how big a hero he was, no matter how great and noble he looked in those fancy new robes, he was still her Aang. He was still the boy who stuttered and blushed when she kissed his cheek, and who made her laugh with ridiculous jokes.

One corner of his mouth twitched upward in a relieved smile. "Yeah," he said. "I'd like that. We... uh, we haven't had much of a chance to talk to each other."

"No, we really haven't," she agreed. She turned the knob and entered the room, with Aang close behind her. "You still haven't told me the whole story of what happened after you disappeared before the comet."

She'd heard the story, of course- or at least, the short version- and Sokka had given her a blow by blow recount of Aang's battle with Ozai at least three times, but it was a whole other thing entirely to be able to hear Aang tell her about it himself.

"I guess I haven't, have I?"

Katara perched herself on the bed, smiling as Aang bounced up onto the mattress beside her. "Come on," she prompted him. "What really happened? Toph said something about a Lion Turtle but she wasn't too clear."

Aang laughed. "Yeah, that was crazy. See, what happened was..."

And so he told her everything. He recounted the whole dizzying journey and his quest for a solution to an impossible problem. As he explained his council with Avatars past and with the enormous Lion Turtle, Katara was moved with sympathy for him. Before he had vanished that night, it had been obvious that the thought of killing Ozai was infinitely distressing to him. She had known that... but still she had doubted him. She, just like the rest of them, had questioned his resolve. She, who had always believed in him more fiercely than anyone, almost to the point of irrationality, had doubted him in the eleventh hour. And he had responded by rising up and finding the solution the whole world had told him did not- could not- exist. When no one else would support him, he had believed in himself and proven them all wrong. Katara had known before anyone else that Aang was extraordinary, but hearing how he had refused to stop seeking until he found an answer he could live with, hearing how he had used his newfound knowledge to save the world and end the war nonviolently... A rush of profound love rose up in her for him, more than she knew what to do with.

"Katara?"

The concerned tone in his voice startled her, pulled her out of her thoughts. "Hm?"

"Are you okay? You're... why are you crying?"

To her great astonishment, she discovered that an involuntary tear had indeed welled up in her eye and gone streaming down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly and stared at her damp fingers in surprise. Then she looked up at Aang, who was watching her with a look of such tender concern on his face she almost couldn't bear it. The way he was looking at her, she would have almost thought he...

"I'm fine. I just..."

But she didn't know what to say. She had no idea how to put into words what she was feeling at that moment. It was too much, he was too much.

She tried again. "Aang, I-"

_I love you._

It was all she really wanted to say to him. Even though her head had only been let in on the secret quite recently, her heart had been bursting with it for much longer. The desire to just confess everything was overwhelming, especially with him still gazing at her as if he adored her every bit as much. She wanted to take his hand, to lean in and kiss him, to tell him just how much he meant to her.

But she couldn't. Somehow it seemed too sudden, too soon. The last time they had talked about matters of the heart, things had gotten out of hand; it seemed too abrupt for a complete reversal. And even if it weren't... she found herself suddenly shy. Even though it was Aang, the person she trusted more than anyone and who she could talk to about anything, she found that she couldn't do it. Her stomach exploded with a flock of buttermoths and her palms began sweating at the mere thought, and she choked on all the things she wanted to say.

"I want you to know how proud of you I am," she blurted out, instead.

His expression morphed from one of sympathetic concern to complete surprise instantly. "What?" he asked.

"I mean it," she pressed on. "I know I've told you this before, but I think you're really amazing, you know? I've never known anyone as strong or as brave as you and I, um, I just wanted you to know that."

He mumbled her name, blushing furiously again. And then he was looking at her in that soft-eyed way he did, as if he was as enamored of her as she was of him, and it was just too much.

She reached over and cradled his face in her palm, drawing him close to press a tickling kiss to his right cheek. Maybe such an affectionate display should have been awkward, with the things they'd said to each other at the theatre still hanging over them, but before any uncomfortable tension had a chance to take root, Katara dispelled it by then flinging her arms around his neck in a fierce hug.

Aang's arms immediately wrapped around her waist, gratefully inviting her in. Reassured by his reaction, Katara snuggled even closer, hiding her face against the solid warmth of his shoulder, her cheek rubbing against the soft fabric of his robes. It was the closest they'd been since their argument on Ember Island, and it felt like absolution. They had both done and said things they regretted- Katara certainly knew she had- and this physical affection was the best way they knew how to put the uncomfortable ordeal behind them.

Katara closed her eyes, a soft smile crossing her face as he tucked himself just a little closer. "I mean it," she whispered. "I'm so proud of you, Aang. Even when no one else supported you, you believed in yourself. I'm so sorry I doubted you."

"I would have doubted me, too," he said in an equally soft voice.

"But I shouldn't have."

"Katara, please don't worry about it. You were only trying to help, and I know you were just worried."

She laughed against his shoulder. He knew her too well. "I guess I always worry about you more than you probably need," she conceded.

"Well, that's okay then," he said in a quiet yet cheerful voice, "because I probably worry about you more than you need, too."

She tilted her head to allow her a glimpse of his face, breaking their hug at last to get a better look at him. "You worry about me?" she asked, unexpectedly pleased by this fact.

He nodded. "You're my best friend," he pointed out, "so of course I'm going to-" He abruptly cut himself off with an enormous yawn.

Katara grinned at the disgruntled look on his face. "Go to bed, Aang," she said. "It's almost morning, and even mighty Avatars need their rest."

He laughed. "I guess so," he conceded. He gave her another hug, spontaneous and very brief. "I'm glad things are okay between us," he said softly in her ear. And then he was up and heading for the door.

"Aang!" she called after him.

He froze, hand on the doorknob. "Yeah?"

_I love you._

"Goodnight."

He favored her with a brilliant smile that was so wonderfully Aang. "Goodnight," he replied, and then he was gone.

Katara slumped back on the bed with a deep groan, though whether of contentment or disappointment, she wasn't entirely sure.

* * *

**A/N-** Reviews are like crack to me. Feel free to leave as many as you like.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N-** ugH THIS CHAPTER. Can you spell "forced?" I was planning on having it done by Friday, buuuuuut I couldn't make it stop sucking so I kept trying to fix it but as you can clearly see I failed so yeah. And it's short and crappy and I'm sorry it sucks so much, next chapter should be better (I hope)!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

As the shores of the Earth Kingdom emerged from the afternoon haze, Katara found herself smiling at the sight of the high granite cliffs that bordered the northeastern edge of the Mo Ce Sea. It was a relief to be crossing the channel. No matter how many quarrels had been laid to rest between her and Zuko, she still wasn't eager to spend any more time in the Fire Nation than she had to. Besides, she had developed a fondness for these temperate parts of the Earth Kingdom, with their untouched miles of forests and rocky foothills. It didn't feel like coming home, exactly, but there was something comfortable about this part of the world.

When her gaze shifted from the approaching coastline to the more immediate surroundings of Appa's back, however, her bright smile dimmed slightly and she let out an inaudible sigh.

They had departed from the capitol that morning on the fourth day out from Zuko's coronation. It had been a busy and emotionally complicated four days. Katara had passed far too much of her time regretting her inability to speak up when she'd had the chance. The perfect opportunity to tell Aang how she felt had been right in front of her, and she had been too shy to take it. Now she had no idea when the next such opportune moment might present itself.

It wasn't like she hadn't seen him since that night. They'd spent plenty of time together the past few days as the group prepared to depart from the Fire Nation. Most of it had been spent in the company of their other friends, however, and the moments they had just to themselves were rare and brief. There hadn't really been an ideal moment to confess her feelings, and she wasn't about to just blurt it out at some random time. The way she was feeling, she was pretty sure this would be the only time she ever confessed her love to someone for the very first time, and as silly as it seemed, she wanted it to be perfect.

Well, they had several days' travel ahead of them at the very least, while they searched for the Earth King. She was sure that somewhere in that span she would find the moment she was looking for.

* * *

Afternoon had faded into an early twilight by the time Aang called a halt for the night. They had reached a mid-sized town, prompting Toph to suggest that, given that they were no longer on the run from anybody, they might as well actually stay in the city. Sokka, who had been whingeing about the pain in his still-healing leg all day, heartily agreed to this plan and so Appa banked sharply, approaching the town from the southwest. They circled overhead twice, searching for an inn at which to stay.

"Is it just me, or does it look a little... crowded?" Suki asked shrewdly, eyes trained on the bustling streets below.

"You're right," Sokka agreed. "And it seems awfully busy for this time of evening."

The five of them exchanged puzzled glances, shrugging.

Once Aang had finally spotted a wayhouse with a stable that looked as though it could accommodate Appa, a tidy little place near the town center, they soared down to land in the wide alley just beyond. They all slid down from the bison's back.

"Hang tight, buddy," Aang murmured, patting his old friend fondly on the nose. "We'll be back in just a minute."

Together, the group entered the inn (poetically named the Emerald Buttermoth), Sokka and Suki leading the way. Katara observed that it was just as nice inside as it had appeared from above. It was a far cry from the lavish palace they had all been staying in for the last week or so, but it was clean and homey, with a spacious (though currently rather crowded) common room appointed with sturdy furniture. Just inside the door was a large wooden desk, behind which sat a frazzled-looking middle aged man. His hat was askew, his wire spectacles smudged, his robes rumpled, and he had the look of someone who hasn't slept sufficiently in far too long. He was frantically scribbling in one of the several heavy log-books set before him.

"We're nearly full," he said briskly, only glancing very briefly at Sokka before returning to his record-keeping. "Only two rooms left."

Sokka frowned, glancing at their party and making a few mental calculations. "I guess we _could_ squeeze into two," he said dubiously. "Are there any other inns in the city that might have more free space?"

"I doubt it," the bespectacled man said, rubbing tiredly at one temple. "I doubt you'll find even one room. The whole countryside has come into town for spirits only know how long!"

"Goodness, you really are busy!" Suki exclaimed. "What's going on?"

"We're celebrating," he said. "Haven't you heard? The Avatar has defeated the Fire Lord and this blasted war is finally over."

"Yes, we know," Katara said, grinning at the innkeeper's obliviousness, stepping a little to the side so that Aang was in more prominent view, as Toph coughed pointedly.

The man looked up in earnest and finally noticed who he was speaking to. His eyes widened to the size of saucers as he took in the sight of the young airbender before him. "You-" he gasped, pointing a shaking finger at him. "You're-!"

"You bet he is," Toph said smugly.

The man all but flew to get around his desk, and before any of them could move he was on his knees before Aang, forehead pressed to the floor. "Avatar Aang," he said. "It is an honor to be in your presence."

Katara looked from the innkeeper to Aang. Her best friend had a stunned expression on his face as he gazed at the prostrate man before him. She could have anticipated this reaction from people, but she wasn't surprised that Aang hadn't.

The surprise on his face transformed to a look of deep discomfort. "Please... please don't do that," he said to the innkeeper. When the man showed no signs of ceasing his obeisances, Aang stepped forward and sank to his knees next to the innkeeper, grasping him by the shoulders and lifting him from the floor. "Please get up," he requested softly, meeting the stunned man's eyes.

Katara's breath caught as she watched Aang coax the man to his feet. She was pretty sure that if she hadn't already been helplessly in love with him, she would have fallen for him in that instant.

"Avatar, welcome to my humble inn. My name is Shou, and if there is any way I can be of use to you, I am at your disposal."

Before Aang could say a word, Sokka cut across him, "Well, we could use some rooms for the night."

"Of course," Shou said, bustling back around behind his desk to review his ledger again. "Let me see... perhaps I may be able to find an additional room for you if I just-"

"No," Aang interrupted firmly. "The two rooms you have is fine."

"Whatever you command, Avatar Aang," he acquiesced. "If you would be so good as to follow me, I will show you to your chambers."

As Shou led the way upstairs, Sokka flicked Aang on the ear.

"Hey! What was that for?" the airbender protested.

"We could have gotten another room! Why'd you stop him?"

Aang frowned. "I'm not going to abuse my title, Sokka," he said. "I don't want to kick somebody else out of their room."

* * *

Their rooms, it transpired, were across the hall from each other on the upper floor. Like the rest of the inn, they were plain but clean and comfortable. Once they had viewed the rooms, they went back outside to stable Appa and retrieve their belongings. It was decided that Sokka and Suki would take one room while Aang, Toph, and Katara would take the other.

"And it better be the girls sharing the bed!" Sokka warned before they parted ways to pack away their things.

Katara rolled her eyes at him and briefly debated smacking him with a water whip before ultimately deciding to choose her battles. She turned back into the room and found Toph sitting on the bed, bouncing slightly to test its firmness, while Aang peered out the window at the festival lights. Over his shoulder, Katara could see people streaming through the streets below toward the town center.

"They really are celebrating," he said thoughtfully.

"Did you expect anything else?" Katara asked lightly. "I mean... we did just end a century of violence and bloodshed."

"I know _that_, but..." He seemed to struggle with finding the right way to express what he was feeling. "I guess Shou's reaction to seeing me kind of caught me off-guard. I wasn't expecting-"

"To be worshipped?" Toph finished for him.

"Well... _yeah_," he admitted, turning to face them and looking almost as uncomfortable as he had when Shou had prostrated himself before him.

Katara laid a hand on his shoulder. "People are going to want to thank you," she pointed out. "You're a hero."

Aang shrugged. "Not any more than you guys. I mean, you stopped Azula... and it was Toph and Sokka and Suki who stopped the air ships. That wasn't any less important to ending the war than what I did."

"Don't sell yourself short, Twinkle Toes," Toph said.

"I know being singled out like that is awkward for you," Katara added sympathetically. "I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure it comes with the territory of being the Avatar."

"Basically I've just got to grin and bear it?" Aang guessed with a half-hearted smirk.

"Basically yes," Toph said. "Now if you're done bellyaching, I'm gonna head outside. Watching Sokka trying to be smooth with the fangirl and still score as much festival food as possible should be entertaining." And with that she hopped down from the bed and walked right out the door.

Aang made to follow her, but Katara stopped him with a light touch to his arm. "For what it's worth, Aang..." Abruptly her brain caught up with her mouth and her heart began racing to keep pace, but she was in too far to stop now, so she swallowed thickly and prayed that her complexion would be enough to conceal the rising blush in her cheeks as she pressed on: "You were my hero a long time before you were the world's hero."

Katara found some slight comfort in the fact that, if she was blushing, at least she wasn't the only one. Aang rubbed nervously at the back of his neck, scarlet and completely failing to suppress a grin.

"Thanks," he mumbled, looking away from her.

"So..."

"Yeah."

"We should probably go down to join the others."

**"Right. Yeah. Let's go do that."**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N-** Um... sorry? *hides* I accidentally grew a social life and then finals and then work and yeah. School's almost over so I should be much more free to focus on important things, like finishing this thing up before May is over.

Also DANCE SCENE HOW WRITE

* * *

**Chapter 3**

The streets of the little city were filled to bursting with people. It certainly couldn't compare to the crowds of Ba Sing Se, but it was pretty clear that Shou had not been exaggerating when he said the whole countryside was pouring into town to join in the celebrations. Sokka and Suki had gone ahead, while the other three lingered behind, dawdling down the street and peering into vendors' stalls. They were all headed for the central plaza, but Toph, Aang, and Katara were taking a more relaxed pace. They were all tired after a long day of flying, and it made sense to enjoy the party more languorously as a result.

"So, Twinkle Toes, how long do you think it'll be before somebody else notices they've got the guest of honor right here in their humble hometown?" Toph asked conversationally.

"Toph!" Katara admonished. "Can you keep your voice down?"

"I don't see why you're slinking around," she said. "It made sense when we were in the Fire Nation and everybody we met wanted you dead, but the war's over! You're a hero now. Might as well enjoy it."

"I plan to," Aang said. "By keeping a low profile so that I can _actually_ enjoy myself."

"That sounds like a good plan," Katara agreed. She thought back to a stormy afternoon in a cave what felt like a long time ago and the things Aang had confessed to her that day. She didn't know for sure, but she was pretty sure she was the only one who would truly understand why Aang wouldn't want a big fuss to be made over his presence in this little city. She could guess easily that if the Avatar were fussed over, he wouldn't be able to take this time to just be Aang, and he_ needed_ that.

Toph shrugged, flipping a coin in the direction of a nearby drinks vendor, who supplied her with a sake cup. "Whatever," she said. "You do what you want, but I'm gonna go find Sokka and Suki and make sure this town has a real celebration." She gave them a bold grin and downed the sake in one go.

"Um, Toph," Katara said hesitantly, "Are you sure you should be-?"

"I'm a nobleman's daughter, Katara," Toph reminded her. "I can handle a little rice wine."

"If you say so," she allowed.

"I do say so." And with that, Toph picked up the pace so as to catch up to the other two. Katara and Aang exchanged a glance and a shrug before continuing their more leisurely journey up the street.

As it transpired, Aang's resolution to keep out of the spotlight didn't last very long. Within twenty minutes some passerby had taken a second glance at his arrows, and then the jig was well and truly up. As word spread around that the Avatar and his companions were in town, each of the five companions found themselves garnering more than a little attention. Katara lost sight of Toph and Sokka and Suki in the crowd, but from what she had seen of them, they were more than slightly enjoying the hero worship being bestowed upon them (though Suki predictably managed it with more grace than her raucous friends).

Aang handled the inevitable swarm of attentive townspeople with relative grace, answering questions and talking politely with the mayor of the town when the portly old man who held that title rushed out to greet him- though he did have to spend several minutes talking him out of organizing an impromptu ceremony in his honor. Katara, who had done her best to stay near him even as she conversed with her own little crowd of inquisitive citizens, couldn't help but feel an enormous surge of pride watching him. Just as she had the night of Zuko's coronation, she wondered where his newfound poise had come from. When on earth had her cute, silly Aang she'd pulled out of an iceberg transformed into this capable young Avatar?

Eventually, the immediate fascination of the townspeople wore off and Aang was left in (relative) peace. He found his way back to Katara's side.

"Hey," he greeted brightly.

"Hey," she said. "Guess you got mobbed after all, huh?"

"Looks that way," he said with a good-natured shrug. "Where are the others?"

Katara pointed across the way to where Toph could be seen sitting at an outdoor cafe. Her feet were up on the table, there was another glass of sake in her hand, and she was in the midst of what sounded like an animated retelling of their adventures for a group of heavily muscled teenage boys (presumably earthbenders) who were watching her with the wide eyes of children half their age as they listened to her talk. "Toph's over there," she said. "I'm not sure where Sokka and Suki got to."

"Wait, they're over there!" Aang pointed. Katara's brother and his girlfriend were in the middle of the square, dancing.

A small band had set up to one side of the central plaza, playing a selection of lively Earth Kingdom folk tunes. All across the open space, people were dancing. Couples, solo dancers, groups of children and teenagers holding hands and spinning in wild circles with the careless abandon of relief and joy.

Katara watched the shifting crowd and was reminded of another cave that held a special significance for herself and Aang, a candlelit grotto in the Fire Nation. The urge to see if there was any chance of a repeat of that night was powerful. She wanted to dance with him again, but this time she wanted it to be right. No secret identities or headbands or hair where there shouldn't be any. She turned to look at him, prepared to ask, and found him looking at her with a warm, soft expression on his face that made her breath catch. The words that had been about to fall easily from her lips got lost, and she could only stare at him, smiling dazedly.

"Katara?" he prompted when she didn't speak.

She made what she considered to be a heroic effort to shake herself out of her daze. "Would you... like to dance?" she asked shyly, blushing at a question she was sure was forward enough to give her away.

An enormous grin broke out on Aang's face. He didn't even bother to hide it. "Definitely," he enthused, needing no further invitation to take her hand and pull her out into the crowd. The music wasn't really appropriate for the same kind of dance they had done while in the Fire Nation, but they had spent months training together in waterbending. They both knew how the other moved, could anticipate the steps just by sight and by feel, twining themselves around each other in a slower, but more elaborate dance than their last.

Katara's mind was running like crazy, a happy giddy whirling in her head that made her almost dizzy from sheer delight. How had she never noticed that Aang_ looked_ at her like that? How had she missed that softness in his eyes until now? He loved her- he had to. He wouldn't look at her like that if he didn't. He was still looking at her like that. It was hidden behind that infectious smile of his, but now that she knew to look for it she could still see that adoration in his eyes.

As they swung past each other in the next form of their dance, she couldn't contain her exuberant laugh. She finally knew. She knew for sure now that this wasn't a mere infatuation for him any more than it was for her.

They hadn't cleared a space in the crowd the way they had at the Fire Nation school, and had to settle for making good use of the less-crowded area by the rim of the large fountain that sat in the center of the plaza. Good dancing wasn't a remarkable novelty here; although the Avatar dancing was something new and different, the townspeople had been good enough to leave him alone after the initial fascination wore thin. Katara wondered if Toph had had anything to do with that, for she'd seen the younger girl giving what looked like a stern talking-to to a handful of people earlier and- But then Aang's hand was on her back and she forgot what she'd been thinking about. He guided her in a few waltz-steps, their bodies close, and Katara swore she forgot how to breathe. She twisted away, whirling like a top around Aang as he reached for her hand, spinning her out with a dramatic flair before pulling her back to him once more. He caught her by the waist and as the folk dance came to an end, he dipped her back.

"I think we've been here before," Katara remarked in a low tone.

"Yeah," he said with the tiniest hint of a self-conscious grin, "I think you're right."

It struck her as the perfect moment. How could it not be? The exhilarating atmosphere of a world at peace, a plaza lit only by the stars and the glow of colored paper lanterns with the light sparkling in the fountain behind them, held tight in his arms after sharing a romantic dance... Yes. Now was the right moment. _Now_ she could tell him everything. She looked up into his laughing grey eyes and took a breath, feeling her stomach flutter with nervous excitement.

"Aang?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

Suddenly, to her horror, Katara felt a sharp jostling sensation. She and Aang both yelped in surprise as their balance shifted and both of them went tumbling right into the fountain behind them. When Katara sat up, blinking and wiping water from her eyes, she saw a couple in their twenties standing there, both of them looking horror-struck, and realized they had accidentally bumped into them, knocking them off-balance.

"Avatar Aang, I'm so sorry!" exclaimed the man. "I didn't-"

"That's okay," Aang said with a laugh. "No harm done, right Katara?" He looked to her for confirmation, and she nodded.

"Right. No harm done," she agreed, and although she smiled cheerfully, internally she was grumbling that she had blown a perfect opportunity to tell him the truth.

Aang airbent himself to his feet with ease, drawing a gasp or two from onlookers, before offering her a helping hand which she gratefully accepted. As she straightened up, plucking disconsolately at her damp dress, she was surprised to see him turning scarlet and looking away. It took her several moments of confusion before she realized that the waterlogged silk of her dress was clinging to her skin in rather revealing ways. Mentally thanking Aang for averting his eyes and blushing hotly herself, she quickly bent the water from her clothes.

"Um, here," she said, attempting to avert any further awkwardness. "Let me dry you off."

"No, that's okay!" he blurted out. "I've got it." He did so quickly, and the tension of the moment evaporated.

"Should we go check on the others?" she asked. "I don't know about you, but it's been a long day and I'm getting pretty tired." It was true. As much fun as she was having, they had traveled for an unusually long time that day and she only had so much energy in her.

He nodded. "Good plan. I'm exhausted!"

* * *

It turned out that the others had already gone back to the inn. One of Toph's many new admirers had informed them that Sokka and Suki had bailed quite early in the evening (Katara pointedly decided not to think about why that might be, because there are some things a sister just doesn't want to know about her brother) and Toph had left the celebration not long after them.

When Aang and Katara arrived back to the room about a half hour later, it was to discover Toph asleep in the rollaway bed. Well, perhaps "in" was a bit too strong a word. "Sprawled across" might be a bit more accurate. It appeared that she had simply stumbled into the room and collapsed over the closest available piece of furniture.

"We shouldn't have let her drink," Katara murmured.

Aang snorted. "Were you planning on being the one to stop her?"

"Good point."

In the silence that washed over them in the wake of this statement, they both came to the same awkward realization at nearly the same moment. With Toph having staked her claim on the trundle bed, their tidy, Sokka-approved sleeping arrangements had been disrupted. Katara shot a look at Aang out of the corner of her eye just in time to catch him looking away from her quickly, a very light blush coloring his cheeks.

He was the first one to approach the subject. "Um, I guess she took over my bed."

"Looks that way."

"I'll just... take the floor, then," he said, gesturing vaguely to the rug beneath the window.

"What? No!" Katara exclaimed. Before her brain could catch up with her mouth, she blurted out, "We can share the bed."

Aang's eyes widened. "Wha... Ka- I, um... Katara... are you _sure?_"

"Definitely," she said with much more certainty than she felt. Aang was too much of a gentleman to do anything that he sensed she was uncomfortable with, and she knew that if she seemed unsure or hesitant, he would end up sleeping on the floor. The idea of him lying on the ground with only a rug between him and the hard wooden floor wasn't a nice one, especially when there was a soft warm mattress available with more than enough room for both of them. Alarm bells were going off in her head, warning her that this was a terrible idea, but they were at war with the extremely tempting prospect of falling asleep beside Aang. It was not a thought she had had before. It was not a thought she had even distantly entertained. Now that the idea had occurred to her, however, the idea of sleeping next to him was more appealing than she would have thought.

He tugged nervously at his ear, looking anywhere but at her. "I'm not so sure that's a great idea," he mumbled.

"Why not?" she asked. "We've slept right next to each other plenty of times. The only difference is that we'd be in a bed instead of lying on the ground."

She knew, they both knew, that there was most certainly a difference. But Katara had made up her mind and Aang, as was usual when he was uncertain or out of his depth, was willing to follow her lead.

"Well," he said, his expression a delightful combination of reluctant and eager, "I guess you're right. Just... don't tell Sokka or he'll skin me alive!"

Katara rolled her eyes. She loved her brother and she knew his intentions were good, but his protectiveness frequently did more than just border on patronizing. "It's none of Sokka's business," she said with a glower in the general direction of his and Suki's room, "and anyway, he ought to know I'm old enough to make my own decisions. If he tries to give you grief about it, he'll have me to answer to!"

Aang laughed at that, and she couldn't help but chuckle with him; Aang's laughter was infectious that way. "Alright, well, as long as you're willing to protect me from him, I guess it's alright."

Katara changed out of her gown and into a nightdress behind the painted dressing screen, while Aang changed into his new pyjamas (one of many gifts from Zuko, who had taken it upon himself to make sure the otherwise possession-free airbender at least had decent clothes on his back). Together they climbed into the bed, both taking extra precautions to stay on their own side and both completely oblivious to the fact that the other was doing exactly the same thing.

"Comfy mattress," Aang remarked.

"Yeah," Katara agreed with a nervous titter.

"Well... night," he added, with all the abrupt awkwardness of someone who knows they should speak but doesn't have the faintest idea what to say.

It took Katara all of twenty seconds to decide that this had been an absolutely terrible idea. What had she been thinking, deciding it was a good idea to share a bed with Aang tonight? The mattress was big, but it wasn't _that_ big. How on earth had she thought she'd ever get to sleep with him _right there_, warm and sleepy and smelling good and perfect for cuddling? This was never going to work.

"Hey Aang?" she asked, and she wasn't sure what she'd meant to say except she'd had some vague idea of suggesting that maybe this was a bad idea after all, but at the sound of his drowsy "Hm?" she forgot it completely. She had something else she wanted to say.

She cast a glance at Toph, making sure the young earthbender really was asleep before she spoke.

"I... I want to run something by you. You, uh... you know that fight we had on Ember Island?" She didn't wait for him to acknowledge her but plunged on recklessly, "You know how I said it wasn't the right time for us to be together? Well I've been thinking about that and I think maybe now would be a better time. To be together, I mean. The war's over, the world's saved... this is what I was waiting for. I just needed everything to calm down, you know? I mean, I _hope_ you know that. I hope you know that what I said that night had nothing to do with you. I mean, of _course_ it had to do with you, it was about you, but I didn't... I don't..."

She let out a frustrated sigh, hating that the words weren't coming out the way she wanted them to. "What I'm trying to say is, I was scared and confused and I'm sorry I didn't really make it clear why that night, but I'm not confused anymore. I have feelings for you, Aang. I want to be together."

There it was. She'd said it. She clenched her eyes shut, waiting nervously for his reply.

Silence.

Katara's stomach dropped to her toes and she started to panic, thinking maybe she'd misread him completely.

And then, Aang snored softly. She looked over at him and realized that the exhausted airbender was fast asleep. He hadn't heard a word she'd said.

She sighed, both out of regret and out of fondness for the sleeping boy next to her. "Well, there's always tomorrow," she whispered. Turning on her side to face him, she scooted just a little closer to him and closed her eyes.


End file.
